Physical Exercise (PE) may appear dull and boring to a busy person. Gyms are the preferred destination for the Mod generation. ‘Exercise’ means wearing gear, warming up, and going out to the ground for a boring routine of stretching and jumping. Physical Activity (PA) is a much broader term encompassing PE, dancing, walking, cycling, digging (gardening) or even carrying heavy groceries or small children. In fact, it involves many more activities as you will read further.
The benefits of PA are numerous and extend not only to our physical health but to our mental, social and spiritual well being too. Regular PA increases certain hormones in our body which reduces stress, improves mood and allows deep sleep. A moderate set of PA for just half an hour a day, over a period of time, strengthens our immune system. This prevents infections, especially of the lungs. It also prevents many diseases and in general, increases our healthy life span. People who go for early morning long walks or go for runs in wooded areas (including parks) report feeling spiritually connected with Nature’s flora and fauna. A sense of spiritual exhilaration.
For getting the best results from PA one needs to know the different types of activities/ exercises and their benefits. For simplicity’s sake, I describe them as the 4Ss. These are Stamina or endurance, Strength, Suppleness or Flexibility and Steadiness or Balance.
STAMINA OR ENDURANCE
This is the commonest form of exercise done by all of us. If done fast enough, the simple act of walking or mopping the floor causes breathlessness and sweating. This PA is also called Aerobics and is very good for our heart and lungs.
| HOW TO DO | – Brisk walking or jogging or running – Dancing – Cycling – Swimming – Climbing on stairs or hills – Digging in gardens or fields – Manual sweeping and mopping – Skipping – Sports |
| BENEFITS | – Prevents diseases or reduces their severity. – Heart disease/ Stroke – Diabetes – Obesity – Certain Cancers – Respiratory diseases including COVID19 – Other benefits. * Improves skin texture * Improves mood and reduces stress * Better sleep * Reduces weight and improves muscle strength * Improves blood circulation and sexual performance. |
| HOW MUCH | Atleast half an hour per day for 6 days a week. |
STRENGTH
Muscle strength is very important as we age. Stop moving the body for a couple of days and the muscles start weakening. Legs need to be strong so that one can stand. Strong arms are needed to pick up our children, grandchildren and our groceries. In fact, all muscles need exercise and a basic level we do that by doing various jobs at the home, office or outside. But they need more strength than that, hence Strength PA.
| HOW TO DO | There are many ways to do it apart from specialized weight lifting in a gym. – Weight lifting at home with improvised weights – Resistance Band training at home – Skipping – Heavy gardening/ Digging – Carrying heavy groceries for a period of time – Carrying children or grandchildren at home – Push-ups on the floor and against a wall – Pull-ups |
| BENEFITS | – Strong muscles for ease of daily activities – Improvement in bone density and to Prevent Osteoporosis – Prevents frozen joints – Reduces joint pains including backaches – Reduces blood sugar – Helps control body weight |
| HOW MUCH | These activities should be done on alternate days. For those over 65, twice a week is sufficient. Beginners of heavyweight training should take the help of experts. Resistance bands are cheap and numerous exercises can be done with the help of videos. One must stop one set of activities when the muscles ‘speak’ of tiredness. |
SUPPLENESS OR FLEXIBILITY
The muscles which are not exercised grow weak and the joints get stiff. The movements of these joints become painful and less in range. For this reason for example, one may not be able to bend to tie our shoelaces. In other people an occasional over-use causes muscles to strain and ache. To prevent such happenings one need PA for improving their suppleness. Slow stretching as in most yogic postures is the best form of PA for getting Suppleness of our muscles.
| HOW TO DO | – Apart from Yoga, Pilates can be practiced – Slow stretching of muscles groups can be done at home – Special exercise videos for the back, thighs, and ankles are also available |
| BENEFITS | – Reduces muscles tension and strains – Prevent back muscle spasms and aches – Prevents frozen joints – Reduces mental tension and improves mood |
| HOW MUCH | Basic stretches should be done on all days of the week. Many people do them first thing in the morning after warming up. May just require 5 minutes. However the full range of exercises may require up to half an hour and should be done thrice a week |
STEADINESS OR BALANCE
This PA is, more often than not, overlooked by many people who tend to focus just on strength and stamina. Many young people don’t even know how important the ‘sense of balance’ or proprioception is for us. For the same quantum of an unexpected push, an older person falls down whereas a younger person can stand steady. As the bones become fragile in old age fractures are common. Hence the requirement of adding PA for remaining steady.
| HOW TO DO | The soles of our feet have receptors for keeping our bodies stable. Inside our homes, we should walk around barefoot. We may also do activities barefoot, whatever we can comfortably do. This will help our sense of balance. Specific exercises include:- – Standing on one leg in ‘crane position’. – Walking on a railing or a beam – Toe to heel walking at home – Walking backward – Tai chi, if learnt – Certain yogic postures |
| BENEFITS | – Prevent falls, especially in old age and in pregnancy. – Improves posture and related pains due to faulty posture – Allows faster recovery from certain injuries – Improves coordination and focus – Increases muscle strength of legs |
| HOW MUCH | Atleast twice a week for minimum 5 to 10 minutes. Over 65 years must do atleast thrice a week. |
PRECAUTIONS, SAFETY MEASURES AND TIPS
A few points to keep in mind:-
- Those having a disease or disability or those above 40 years must seek medical advice from their doctor on the quality and quantity of exercise/ activity.
- Warming up of the body is extremely essential before starting any exercise. A two-minute walk with arms swinging is enough.
- Hydration is very important, especially in summers and monsoons. A simple salt and sugar solution with fresh lime is quite refreshing.
- Start small. After all, Rome was not built in a day. Increase quality and quantity of activities slowly.
- Stop for the day any exercise which causes pain or muscle spasms.
- One rest day is necessary. The rest day should be kept for learning/ practicing breathing exercises (including pranayama and or anulom – vilom). Senior citizens may have two rest days a week.
- Keep an exercise diary. Write the goal in mind and and the quantum of activity done.
- Remember, each person is unique. We have different lengths and shapes of muscles and joints may have different angles. Hence, there should be no comparison.
Enjoy your Physical Activities!!
Next week, ‘Exercise and COVID19’ will be discussed. Till then, stay healthy and keep safe.
Maj Gen Krishan Chauhan is a second-generation army officer. He studied in Sainik School Kapurthala, graduated from IG Medical College, Shimla and did his MD from AFMC/Pune University. He has served in the Army Medical Corps for 36 years and retired as the Addl DGMS army. He is an avid marathon runner and a writer. He first wrote articles for children in The Young Chronicles. Later, he started writing his own blog as Genkris, on WordPress where over 25 articles on various subjects can be accessed.
